The “Happy Days” icon says stepping away from acting is “the furthest thing from my imagination.”

Henry Winkler refuses to retire at 80 because ‘it is deadly’

The "Happy Days" icon says stepping away from acting is "the furthest thing from my imagination."

By Jillian Sederholm

Jillian Sederholm

Jillian Sederholm is news director at *. *She has worked at EW for more than eight years. Jillian has previously worked as a reporter, social media editor, and homepage producer at NBC News, Digital First Media, Newsday, and *Random Lengths News.*

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January 4, 2026 1:56 p.m. ET

Henry Winkler in 2025; Winkler as Fonzie on 'Happy Days'. Credit:

Noam Galai/Getty; ABC Photo Archives/Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty

TV legend Henry Winkler may be 80, but he won't stop working anytime soon.

"People keep asking me, am I gonna retire or 'have you retired?'" the *Happy Days* alum said on a recent episode of the* IMO *podcast, hosted by former first lady Michelle Obama and her brother, Craig Robinson.

"And I think that is like the furthest thing from my imagination," Winkler said of stepping away from acting. "I will retire when I am not able to do [this] more."

He added of retirement, "I think that it is deadly."

Don Most, Henry Winkler, Anson Williams, and Ron Howard on 'Happy Days' in 1973.

ABC Photo Archives/Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty

"I work a lot," the octogenarian said of his current status. "I have several jobs."

His most recent gig is hosting the History Channel's* Hazardous History, *which was renewed for a second season that will expand to 30 hour-long episodes.

"When they presented it to me, I just loved the facts of it. I thought, 'This is outrageous,'" Winkler said of the documentary series, which delves into products and activities from America's past that now seem reckless.

Winkler's own past is far from that — aside from a certain shark jump. Over the past 50 years, he's portrayed numerous fan-favorite characters, beginning with one of his earliest roles as Arthur "Fonzie" Fonzarelli on the sitcom *Happy Days, *which ran from 1974 until 1984. The part won the actor two Golden Globes, scored him three Emmy nominations, and earned him a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1981.

Henry Winkler and 'Happy Days' costars make classic callback to the sitcom in mini reunion

Henry Winkler reveals 'Happy Days' guest star he couldn't go 'toe to toe' with

He went on to delight comedy fans with numerous collaborations with Adam Sandler, including *The Waterboy, Click, Little Nicky, You Don't Mess With the Zohan, *and* Sandy Wexler. *

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In his later years, he made memorable turns as *Arrested Development*'s hilariously incompetent lawyer Barry Zuckerkorn, *Parks and Recreation*'s resident obstetrician and investor (and father to the incorrigible Jean-Ralphio and Mona-Lisa) Dr. Lu Saperstein, and *Barry*'s eccentric acting teacher Gene Cousineau.

Bill Hader and Henry Winkler on 'Barry'. Isabella Vosmikova/HBO

It was the latter role opposite Bill Hader on the HBO series that brought Winkler perhaps the most acclaim of his career, when he was already well into his 70s. He snagged his first Primetime Emmy Award for season 1 and was nominated for all three of the seasons that followed.

Winkler also writes children's books with his writing partner, Lin Oliver, including the *Here's Hank *and* Detective Duck *series.

Next up, he can be seen starring alongside Bob Odenkirk and Lena Headey in the crime thriller *Normal, *heading to theaters in April.**

Watch Winkler's full interview with Michelle Obama and Craig Robinson on* IMO *above.

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